Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PEPPER, n. Sc. usages: As in Eng., the usual Sc. word for pepper being Spice.

Sc. combs. and derivs.: 1. pepper and mustard, adj. phr., applied, from their brindled grey or yellow colour, to the border breed of dogs now called Dandie Dinmonts after the character of that name in Scott's Guy Mannering, based on the original breeder, James Davidson of Hindlee (see 1829 quot.). Hence pepper and mustard breed, — terrier, etc.; 2. pepper curn, a small hand-mill for grinding pepper-corns. See also Curn, n.⁴; 3. pepper-dilse, -dulse, a pungent edible sea-weed, jagged fucus, Laurencia pinnatifida (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ags. 1813 J. Hendrick Agric. Ags. App. B. 35; Abd. 1815 J. Arbuthnot Fishes 39, -dilse); 4. pepper girse, the sneezewort, Achillea ptarmica (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., 1947 Shet. Folk-Bk. (Tait) I. 85); 5. pepperies (Ags.), pepperins (Sh.), quick turns of a skipping rope (Sh., Ags. 1965).1. Sc. 1824 Scott Letters (Cent. ed.) VIII. 195:
A very fierce terrier of mine of the Pepper and Mustard breed.Sc. 1829 Scott Guy M. Note C.:
Mr. James Davidson of Hindlee, a tenant of Lord Douglas . . . had the humour of naming a celebrated race of terriers which he possessed by the generic names of Mustard and Pepper (according as their colour was yellow or greyish-black). . . . When the tale on which these comments are written became rather popular, the name of Dandie Dinmont was generally given to him, which Mr. Davidson received with great good humour. . . . An English lady of high rank and fashion being desirous to possess a brace of the celebrated Mustard and Pepper terriers, expressed her wishes in a letter, which was literally addressed to Dandie Dinmont, under which very general direction it reached Mr. Davidson.Sc. 1962 Dog World (20 April) 710:
[She] has for many years owned a mustard bitch round whom the household revolved. This bitch has now died but Miss Goridge, like many people who have had a Dandie as companion, has decided that she cannot be without one and the bitch has now been replaced by another, a pepper this time.2. Fif., Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
Peppercurns. A simple machine for grinding pepper, consisting of a piece of wood about six inches in length, and three in breadth, in the middle of which a hole is bored, but not quite to the bottom, of about two inches in diameter; in this aperture a few grains of pepper are put, and by means of a handle, into which some rough nails are driven at the lower end, the pepper is bruised till it be fit for use.3. Sc. 1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scotica II. 954:
This Fucus [Fucus pinnatifidus] has a hot taste in the mouth, and is therefore called Pepper Dulse by the people in Scotland; who frequently eat it as a salad.